Wizard given the flick

Lord of the Rings fans are outraged by a decision to cut a seven minute segment from the upcoming film The Return of the King that will remove all the scenes featuring the evil wizard Saruman from the final chapter of the trilogy.

More than 7000 fans have signed a petition calling for the scenes to be reinstated, arguing that the fate of Saruman was left in the air with no resolution at the end of the second film.

The decision has also surprised the British actor Christopher Lee who plays Saruman. "Of course I'm very shocked, that's all I can say," he told Britain's ITV television channel.

Lee, 81, said he could not say more because he had signed a confidentiality agreement.

A Lord of the Rings spokeswoman said Lee had been invited to the world premiere of the film in Wellington on December 1, but was not expected to attend because of his age.

Most of the film's main stars, including Sir Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin and Liv Tyler, are to attend.

Lee was a friend of the trilogy's author JRR Tolkien and reads the book at least once a year.

Details of the cuts were revealed on the internet last week in email correspondence between director Peter Jackson and American Harry Knowles, who runs a film news website.

Jackson said he had planned to open The Return of the King with a scene involving Lee and the character Wormtongue, played by American Brad Dourif.

"The trouble is, when we viewed various Return of the King cuts over the last few weeks, it feels like the first scenes are wrapping last year's movie ... We felt it got Return of the King off to an uncertain beginning."

It has also been reported that the seven minute scene is being saved for the extended DVD of the film.